Fitness trackers are hot, but do they really help?NEW YORK (AP) — Sales of fitness trackers are climbing, and the biggest maker of the gadgets, Fitbit, made a splashy debut on the stock market Thursday. But will the devices really help you get healthier? Experts agree that getting people to set goals — and then reminding them of the goals — absolutely works, and the wearable devices are built to do that. But evidence people get healthier when using fitness trackers is limited because they are...

A reminder of our historyWhen Dylann Roof, 21, murdered nine people in a historically black church in South Carolina on Wednesday night, he was carrying out an ideology, which, when coupled with a corrupt conscience, results in a perpetual loss of life spanning centuries. But Roof, psychotic and plagued as he was, is not solely responsible for the murders. Because the ideology he carried out is, at least symbolically, supported by the state of South Carolina. The Conf...

Levees and the era of neglectA column with the word “levees” in the headline probably won’t attract a record number of readers. Unless you live in a floodplain, they’re just big piles of dirt, right? Well, not really. The recent floods have drawn attention to Arkansas’ deteriorating levees. Really, “forgotten” is the better word. It turns out that, in many cases, no one’s really in charge of maintaining them, or even caring whether or not they exist. They were built when ...

She was very, very sick — of waitingA North Carolina woman got tired of the wait in a hospital emergency room, allegedly held a lighter up to one of its sprinklers and flooded the room with about half an inch of water. The scene inside the ER was “chaotic and disastrous” as “copious amounts of water” poured down Wednesday afternoon, according to a police report. Katlyn Milligan, 20, told police she waited in the ER of Carolinas HealthCare System-Blue Ridge in Morgantown for abou...

Little Rock Fire Department: Oldest in stateControlling fire has been a concern for cities as long as they have existed. Little Rock has been no exception. The Little Rock Fire Department, the oldest and largest in the state, has undergone extensive changes in its long history. A volunteer fire department emerged early for the city since the early 1800s, but equipment and training were limited. By the 1880s, four stations existed across town for the department. In 1881, the LRFD ordered...

My favorite country acts, songsWe had fun a few days ago by naming some country music acts that are special to us. That wasn’t too hard at all, but here is the kicker! Then you had to add your favorite song by each. That made things a bit tougher. I’m going to give you my list. My wife agreed with several of my picks, but not all. Some of my choices you will call “obvious,” while you may not have heard of some others I went with. At any rate, here is my list. These are in n...

Only one life to liveCONWAY — To be sure, there is a whole lot of meanness taking place in our country today, and even more so in other parts of the world. But in spite of all of this, it is still a beautiful world and we have the opportunity to do good for people while we are here, because someday it will be too late. The truth is, we only have one life to live. We can make the most of it, or we can squander our days until they are all gone. The other day I was r...

No more green and whiteMy high school colors were green and white. At graduation the boys wore green robes and the girls wore white. No one considered the girls inferior because of the color of their robes. Today, we live in different times. My alma mater, Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, Md., is one of several schools to have decided that their commencement ceremony this year will feature single-color robes to respect transgender students and those ...

Who lost Iraq?After the pro-Western government of China was forced to flee to the island of Taiwan in 1949, when the Communists took over mainland China, bitter recriminations in Washington led to the question: “Who lost China?” China was, of course, never ours to lose, though it might be legitimate to ask if a different American policy toward China could have led to a different outcome. In more recent years, however, Iraq was in fact ours to lose, after U....

Defection sign of GOP growing painsLITTLE ROCK — An Arkansas lawmaker’s defection from the Republican Party following a split with GOP leaders over moving up the state’s primary elections isn’t a sign the party is in trouble of losing its majority status anytime soon. It does, however, illustrate growing pains Republicans are going to have to manage. Rep. Nate Bell announced he was switching his party affiliation from Republican to independent days after Republican Gov. Asa Hut...

Woman makes laundry list of mistakesReaders of The Courier will recall a 34-year-old Russellville woman was arrested after Atkins police investigators were notified of a debit card used without the owner’s authorization at local businesses and a casino in Fort Smith. A report indicated the woman was identified through a combination of surveillance footage, tips from concerned citizens and use of the Internet. However, the woman’s choice in clothing may have made the difference a...

The catalpa tree carries special meaningAround this time last year I was not-so-patiently awaiting the birth of my daughter. She was about a week overdue and I was round and tired. The catalpa flowers were scattered all over the yard, their sweet smells crushed under my sons’ hyper feet. I mark my mother’s death by the arrival of the monarchs and the mums; my sons’ birth by the tenacity of zinnias and sunflowers. My daughter, she comes with the catalpas. I hadn’t really thought abou...

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Meredith Martin-MoatsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Legacy of John Henry Pruitt“Tell it to the Marines” was a popular recruiting slogan during World War I. Throughout the long, distinguished history of the US Marine Corps, courage, determination, and love of country have always been at the heart of their training. One Arkansas native, John H. Pruitt, one of the most decorated Marines of World War I, showed this to the world when he became one of the few men to ever earn two Congressional Medals of Honor. John Henry Pruit...

Famous Americans who servedCONWAY — If you will be so kind to join me, I would like to share a little bit of history that is very important yet not common knowledge. In our modern culture we are all aware of the importance of the “big screen” in our daily lives (the big screen meaning television, movies, and all different forms of home entertainment). However, back in the early days of Hollywood and the production of movies (way before the days of television), there wer...

Appeal for functional faithSome persons experience great difficulty in exercising faith. For instance, some years ago a youthful wife struggled with a lack of assurance. Then one evening she professed her faith in Christ at a home Bible study. Those of us present rejoiced with her, thinking she had at last put her doubts aside. However, I received a call from her the next morning. She had lapsed back into her former uncertainty, and was deeply depressed. Disappointed by...

No Memorial Day for inner-city dead“Black lives matter!” was the chant heard at recent demonstrations in cities and towns from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore, Maryland. Yes, they do matter, but apparently not so much to some other blacks. Only when a white police officer shoots or engages in other behavior that results in the death of a black man do black lives seem to matter. While Memorial Day weekend featured the traditional parades, barbecues and moments of silence at bas...

Graduation giftsThis is the season of college graduations, and many people may be wondering what kinds of gifts would be most appropriate for young people leaving the world of academia and heading out to face the challenges and opportunities of adulthood in the real world. Given the narrow range of left to far left views of the world on most college campuses, and the vast ignorance of other views, even among graduates of elite academic institutions, one valua...

Brief special session starts TuesdayLITTLE ROCK — The House will convene the day after Memorial Day, May 26, to address several issues for what we expect to be a brief special session. The governor’s primary reason for calling us back into session is to address an economic development opportunity. We are being asked to approve $87 million in state bonds as an incentive for Lockheed Martin to expand its Camden facility. If Lockheed Martin is awarded a contract by the federal gove...

Police: Burglar breaks into house, falls asleep on couchPolice in Sarasota, Florida, have arrested a man they say broke into a home, then fell asleep on the couch. The Bradenton Herald reported Timothy Bontrager, 29, was arrested Saturday morning. Police said the resident woke up and found Bontrager sleeping on her living room couch. When she asked Bontrager what he was doing in her house, he apologized and left after she told him she was calling police. Officials said the resident told them Bontra...

Less assistance hikes students’ costs‘Tis the season for tuition increases, and almost all of Arkansas’ public colleges and universities are getting in on the action, which complicates things especially for first-time students and their parents. Almost any institution can find ways to cut costs, and many are doing just that. But colleges and universities are having to shift more of the burden for financing their operations to the students because of declining state support. The C...